Hi, my name is Bill and I'm a FarmVille addict.
At the suggestion of Kristin, I hooked up with a FarmVille forum called Add-Me. It makes your profile available to other people in the forum. They can then become your Facebook friends and FarmVille neighbors. I have five new neighbors already from places like Stockholm, Sweden and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Many others should be rolling in soon, including one from India. My plan is expansion, but I'm waiting to see how many neighbors I get.
Today is the big Canada Day dinner down at the rec center here at IBE. Our neighbors across the street are from Quebec. They are going, but plan to sit at a picnic table outside. (I made that up, but it could happen.)
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Bill's Top Ten For January 28, 2010
Top Ten Reasons Why I Know That I'm
Addicted To FarmVille
10.) I no longer like Circus Peanuts like I did when I was a kid because I know where they come from.
9.) When I drive by a field where manure is being spread, I think that the ground should be sparkling.
8.) I think that every cat I see is way too small.
7.) I can't understand why a mouse click doesn't cause my dog to stay.
6.) I felt real pride when I became “The King of Compost”.
5.) I feel remorse because I have imprisoned my little farmer person.
4.) I don't use ice cubes. (see #10)
3.) I can't understand why bananas turn brown instead of saying perfect until I'm ready to eat them.
2.) I firmly believe that the 20 cows in each barn switch places at the windows so that none of them suffocates.
1.) I saw two kids walk by with balloons on strings and my first thought was that they should be “harvested”.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Jam Session With Rudy, et al
The attempt to get a musical jam session started here at IBE got off to a rather quiet start today. The only other person to show up, other than me, was a guy named Rudy that I met at choir practice on the past two Tuesdays. Rudy plays a baritone ukulele, quite well actually.
We played a few songs together, from memory and from some sheet music that Rudy brought with him. The most exciting part is that Rudy is a barberhopper (bass) with over 40 years experience. Back in the day, his chorus finished in the top ten at the International Competition. He worked as a programmer for IBM, which he says stands for "I've Been Moved." He spent time in England only four years after barbershop had been introduced there. His experience and knowledge made him a hot commodity and he became the director of a chorus. Then he was transferred to France. He spoke no French and there was no barbershop in that country at that time. Fortunately, he and his bari uke caught on with a small group and he ended up traveling around during his off time from IBM and playing at hotels and clubs.
Art, a friend of Rudy's, eventually came by (he is a barbershop tenor). Rudy made a short walk home to get his wife, Eleanor, who knows most of the lead parts to the "polecat" songs that all barbershoppers know. You can guess what happened then. The four of us spent about 45 minutes singing those songs plus a few others like "Coney Island Baby". We rang a few chords here and there too.
Rudy attends rehearsals of the Naples barbershop chorus every Thursday, so he is going to stop and pick me up tomorrow night and I should get to do some more singing.
There was a lady who walked through the rec hall today that is a keyboard player and I think that she might join us next week. There is also another guitar player that Rudy knows and he will try to bring him next Wednesday also. I guess that small steps are better than no steps. Stay tuned.
We played a few songs together, from memory and from some sheet music that Rudy brought with him. The most exciting part is that Rudy is a barberhopper (bass) with over 40 years experience. Back in the day, his chorus finished in the top ten at the International Competition. He worked as a programmer for IBM, which he says stands for "I've Been Moved." He spent time in England only four years after barbershop had been introduced there. His experience and knowledge made him a hot commodity and he became the director of a chorus. Then he was transferred to France. He spoke no French and there was no barbershop in that country at that time. Fortunately, he and his bari uke caught on with a small group and he ended up traveling around during his off time from IBM and playing at hotels and clubs.
Art, a friend of Rudy's, eventually came by (he is a barbershop tenor). Rudy made a short walk home to get his wife, Eleanor, who knows most of the lead parts to the "polecat" songs that all barbershoppers know. You can guess what happened then. The four of us spent about 45 minutes singing those songs plus a few others like "Coney Island Baby". We rang a few chords here and there too.
Rudy attends rehearsals of the Naples barbershop chorus every Thursday, so he is going to stop and pick me up tomorrow night and I should get to do some more singing.
There was a lady who walked through the rec hall today that is a keyboard player and I think that she might join us next week. There is also another guitar player that Rudy knows and he will try to bring him next Wednesday also. I guess that small steps are better than no steps. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I Still Love FarmVille
And I can quit anytime that I want, Anytime , Anytime, Really. I'm Not Addicted, I can Quit, If I Wanted To.........................
FYI: Here is my new mouse pad that I got for Christmas (from Kris and Mark).
FYI: Here is my new mouse pad that I got for Christmas (from Kris and Mark).
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Elantra Has Returned.
Yesterday, I drove back up north to Brandon to (1) turn in our rental car and (2) pick up our repaired car. Except for 2 hours on the road each way, all went well. I had to go alone because our car was still packed with stuff that made only the driver's seat available.
The short version of the repairs is: A pin on the gear that turns one of the camshafts broke and so that cam wouldn't turn. That meant very low compression and the car wouldn't run. It's not a common occurrence, but thanks to Hyundai's 10 yr, 100,000 mile warranty, we didn't have to pay anything to fix this. We did have them replace the timing belt while they had the engine partially torn down, and that was preventative maintenance that we did pay for.
We are in the process of contacting Hyundai about reimbursement for the 11 days of rental car charges. That evidently will have to be handled by the company, not the dealer. We have our fingers crossed on that one. Update: After talking to Hyundai Consumer Affairs, we have a good chance of getting reimbursed for six of the eleven days of car rental. I just have to send in documentation. Can do.
We have now removed all the stored items from the car and found places for them in the "basement" of the bus. We feel more at home.
I finally have all my guitar stuff and music accessories, so I can be ready for next Wednesday's inaugural Jam Session.
The short version of the repairs is: A pin on the gear that turns one of the camshafts broke and so that cam wouldn't turn. That meant very low compression and the car wouldn't run. It's not a common occurrence, but thanks to Hyundai's 10 yr, 100,000 mile warranty, we didn't have to pay anything to fix this. We did have them replace the timing belt while they had the engine partially torn down, and that was preventative maintenance that we did pay for.
We are in the process of contacting Hyundai about reimbursement for the 11 days of rental car charges. That evidently will have to be handled by the company, not the dealer. We have our fingers crossed on that one. Update: After talking to Hyundai Consumer Affairs, we have a good chance of getting reimbursed for six of the eleven days of car rental. I just have to send in documentation. Can do.
We have now removed all the stored items from the car and found places for them in the "basement" of the bus. We feel more at home.
I finally have all my guitar stuff and music accessories, so I can be ready for next Wednesday's inaugural Jam Session.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Rambo, Schmambo
Simo Häyhä (December 17, 1905 – April 1, 2002), nicknamed "White Death" (Russian: Белая смерть, Belaya Smert; Finnish: Valkoinen Kuolema; Swedish: den Vita Döden) by the Red Army, was a Finnish sharpshooter. Using a standard iron-sighted, bolt action rifle in the Winter War, he has the highest recorded number of confirmed kills in any major war.[1][2]
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Early life, World War II service
Häyhä was born in the municipality of Rautjärvi near the present-day border of Finland and Russia, and started his military service in 1925. Before entering combat, Häyhä was a farmer and a hunter. His farmhouse was reportedly full of trophies for marksmanship.[3] It was during the Winter War (1939–1940), between Finland and the Soviet Union, that he began his duty as a sniper and fought for the Finnish Army against the Red Army.
In temperatures between −40 and −20 degrees Celsius, dressed completely in white camouflage, Häyhä was credited with 505 confirmed kills of Soviet soldiers,[2][4] and 542 if including the unconfirmed deaths.[4] The unofficial Finnish frontline figure from the battlefield of Kollaa places the number of Häyhä's sniper kills over 800.[5] A daily account of the kills at Kollaa was conducted for the Finnish snipers. Besides his sniper kills, Häyhä was also credited with over two hundred kills with a Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun, thus bringing his credited kills to at least 705.[4] Remarkably, all of Häyhä's kills were accomplished in fewer than 100 days.
Häyhä used a Finnish variant, M/28, of the Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifle (known as "Pystykorva" rifle, meaning "spitz"), because it suited his small frame (5 ft 3 in/1.60 m). He preferred to use iron sights rather than telescopic sights to present a smaller target (the sniper must raise his head higher when using a telescopic sight), to prevent visibility risks (a telescopic sight's glass can fog up easily), and aid concealment (sunlight glare in telescopic sight lenses can reveal a sniper's position). Another tactic used by Häyhä was to compact the snow in front of him so that the shot wouldn't disturb the snow, thus revealing his position. He also kept snow in his mouth so that when breathing he wouldn't reveal his position.
The Soviets tried several ploys to get rid of him, including counter snipers and artillery strikes. On March 6 1940, Häyhä was shot in the jaw during combat by a Russian soldier. The bullet tumbled upon impact and left his head. He was picked up by fellow soldiers who said "half his head was missing". He regained consciousness on March 13, the day peace was declared. Shortly after the war, Häyhä was promoted straight from corporal to second lieutenant by Field MarshalCarl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. No one else has ever gained rank in such a quick fashion in Finland's military history.
[edit] Later life
It took several years for Häyhä to recuperate from his wound. The bullet had crushed his jaw and blown off his left cheek. Nonetheless, he made a full recovery and became a successful moose hunter and dog breeder after World War II, and hunted with Finnish president Urho Kekkonen.
When asked in 1998 how he had become such a good shot, he answered, "Practice." When asked if he regretted killing so many people, he said "I did what I was told to as well as I could." Simo Häyhä spent his last years in a small village called Ruokolahti located in the south-east of Finland near the Russian border.
Mini Manatees
These little guys were hanging around the bridge that leads to IBE today. There were a couple of adults too, but they were hiding below the bridge when I took the pictures.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Meeting and Eating With Our Fellow Buckeyes
Yesterday, we attended the Ohio Day dinner here at IBE. There were over 150 people in attendance. The chicken, soft drinks and coffee were provided and each couple brought a dish. As you can imagine, there was an abundance of food and it was all good. The party had a 50's theme as shown in these pictures.
We got to keep the 45's that were our table favors. Our records were "If You Love Me" and "The Man Upstairs" by Kay Starr and "Summertime" and "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke.
We got to keep the 45's that were our table favors. Our records were "If You Love Me" and "The Man Upstairs" by Kay Starr and "Summertime" and "You Send Me" by Sam Cooke.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Takin' Care of Business
I'm in the process of organizing weekly jam sessions here at IBE like we had at Upriver last year. I think that we will use this band as our model. We'll have to get a chorus line to really make it work.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Some Pictures of IBE
Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what our winter home looks like. We are still having the coldest stretch of weather in the last 25 years down here. I doubt that we will get much sympathy from those of you dealing with the temperatures up north.
In the saga of our car, there is nothing new to report. The car is still at the Hyundai dealership in Brandon, FL. They are now checking the cylinder head to see if it might be warped. If that turns out to be true, it should be covered by warranty, but we will have to get confirmation of that from Hyundai central command. I'll have to call Hertz tomorrow and extend the rental car for a few more days.
There was a notice posted that the barbershop singing group here at the park was meeting at 2:00 yesterday. I went down but no one else showed up. I found out today that the lady who had been organizing the group is not here because her husband is ill. Hopefully we can get something going.
Today was haircut day for both Sue and I. Now we have warm weather trims. We just need the warm weather.
In the saga of our car, there is nothing new to report. The car is still at the Hyundai dealership in Brandon, FL. They are now checking the cylinder head to see if it might be warped. If that turns out to be true, it should be covered by warranty, but we will have to get confirmation of that from Hyundai central command. I'll have to call Hertz tomorrow and extend the rental car for a few more days.
There was a notice posted that the barbershop singing group here at the park was meeting at 2:00 yesterday. I went down but no one else showed up. I found out today that the lady who had been organizing the group is not here because her husband is ill. Hopefully we can get something going.
Today was haircut day for both Sue and I. Now we have warm weather trims. We just need the warm weather.
Monday, January 4, 2010
We Have Wheels
We got our rental car from Hertz this morning. It's a Mazda 3, 4-door sedan. Not exactly a Camaro, but it's cheap. Since the guys at the Hyundai dealership haven't put our car back in running order yet, we decided to economize in advance of the final bill.
They did find that the main problem was a failed sensor for the camshaft. But they replaced the sensor and the car would still not fire up. The last word was that they were going to prime the cylinders with motor oil to try and get compression to be back to normal levels. (The gas going into the cylinders while the engine cranked may have thinned out the oil too much to hold compression). That was the word as of about 3:00 this afternoon. We'll wait and see what develops on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, now that we are mobile, we went grocery shopping at a WalMart Supercenter today. Since it was lunch time (how convenient) we ate at Boston Beer Garden (BBG) in Naples. That restaurant is now on our favorites list.
We signed up today to go to an Ohio Day dinner next Sunday. It's for anyone who lives (or ever lived) in Ohio. They provide chicken and beverage and each couple brings a vegetable, salad or dessert. If you want a more potent drink, it's BYOB.
Tomorrow, I am going to a barbershop gathering here at IBE. They meet every Tuesday at 2:00. I'm looking forward to it. Baritones are often in demand.
Wednesday night, there is a dance from 7:30-10:30, with a live band. We may check that out.
Our neighbors on the right are from Connecticut, and on the left from Cincinnati.
Below are pictures of our temporary car and our site. You can enlarge the collage by clicking on it.
They did find that the main problem was a failed sensor for the camshaft. But they replaced the sensor and the car would still not fire up. The last word was that they were going to prime the cylinders with motor oil to try and get compression to be back to normal levels. (The gas going into the cylinders while the engine cranked may have thinned out the oil too much to hold compression). That was the word as of about 3:00 this afternoon. We'll wait and see what develops on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, now that we are mobile, we went grocery shopping at a WalMart Supercenter today. Since it was lunch time (how convenient) we ate at Boston Beer Garden (BBG) in Naples. That restaurant is now on our favorites list.
We signed up today to go to an Ohio Day dinner next Sunday. It's for anyone who lives (or ever lived) in Ohio. They provide chicken and beverage and each couple brings a vegetable, salad or dessert. If you want a more potent drink, it's BYOB.
Tomorrow, I am going to a barbershop gathering here at IBE. They meet every Tuesday at 2:00. I'm looking forward to it. Baritones are often in demand.
Wednesday night, there is a dance from 7:30-10:30, with a live band. We may check that out.
Our neighbors on the right are from Connecticut, and on the left from Cincinnati.
Below are pictures of our temporary car and our site. You can enlarge the collage by clicking on it.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Bonita Springs, We Have Arrived.
We are now happily settled into site 44 here at Imperial Bonita Estates. We got here about 4:30 this afternoon and we were all hooked up and everything by about 5:30. It was good to get that all done before dark.
The biggest snag in our trip happened this morning in Tampa when we were ready to put the car back on the tow dolly and head south. The car wouldn't start. It would turn over, but nothing more. It was kind of weird because we took the car off the dolly on Wed. night and drove around to the front of our lot without any problem.
It didn't seem that there was a problem with the battery, but I hooked it up with the bus battery via jumper cables anyway. No difference. The gas gauge read very low, so I added a couple of gallons of gas from a nearby station, but that didn't help either. The car had made a bit of a squealing noise Wed. night which I just assumed was the cold belts slipping a bit. Now I thought that maybe the fuel pump had gone bad, because they squeal before they expire. This was not something that I could fix.
At first, we thought of staying longer in Tampa, until the car could be repaired. But when I checked with AAA, they were able to get a tow truck to us in about 45 minutes, and they took the car to a Hyundai dealer in nearby Brandon, FL. I told the Hyundai service guys what the symptoms were and what I had tried. Then we hooked the dolly to the motorhome and started our drive to Bonita Springs.
While we were on the road, the Hyundai guys called to say that they had started trying to diagnose the problem, but had not found anything yet. They did check the fuel pump and it was working fine. The service dept was only open until 4:00 this afternoon, so they will continue the work on Monday.
Meanwhile, we have arranged to get a rental car from Hertz on Monday morning. Hertz has a nice price break for AAA members and they will pick us up at the RV park and take to Naples to get the car. We can have it until Thursday if we need it that long for a little over $150. When we go back to Tampa to get our car, we can turn the rental car in there.
Not exactly the way we planned our arrival, but we're here on time and all things considered, there was not really that much inconvenience. As for the rental car, I'm pushing for a bitchin' red Camaro.
Tomorrow, we'll just hang out unless I can convince Sue to let me ride my bike to the Dog Track with her on the handlebars. (Her bike is in the car)
That was one day in the adventures of Bill and Sue. Wickett could care less as long as he has food, water and palm trees to pee and poop on.
The biggest snag in our trip happened this morning in Tampa when we were ready to put the car back on the tow dolly and head south. The car wouldn't start. It would turn over, but nothing more. It was kind of weird because we took the car off the dolly on Wed. night and drove around to the front of our lot without any problem.
It didn't seem that there was a problem with the battery, but I hooked it up with the bus battery via jumper cables anyway. No difference. The gas gauge read very low, so I added a couple of gallons of gas from a nearby station, but that didn't help either. The car had made a bit of a squealing noise Wed. night which I just assumed was the cold belts slipping a bit. Now I thought that maybe the fuel pump had gone bad, because they squeal before they expire. This was not something that I could fix.
At first, we thought of staying longer in Tampa, until the car could be repaired. But when I checked with AAA, they were able to get a tow truck to us in about 45 minutes, and they took the car to a Hyundai dealer in nearby Brandon, FL. I told the Hyundai service guys what the symptoms were and what I had tried. Then we hooked the dolly to the motorhome and started our drive to Bonita Springs.
While we were on the road, the Hyundai guys called to say that they had started trying to diagnose the problem, but had not found anything yet. They did check the fuel pump and it was working fine. The service dept was only open until 4:00 this afternoon, so they will continue the work on Monday.
Meanwhile, we have arranged to get a rental car from Hertz on Monday morning. Hertz has a nice price break for AAA members and they will pick us up at the RV park and take to Naples to get the car. We can have it until Thursday if we need it that long for a little over $150. When we go back to Tampa to get our car, we can turn the rental car in there.
Not exactly the way we planned our arrival, but we're here on time and all things considered, there was not really that much inconvenience. As for the rental car, I'm pushing for a bitchin' red Camaro.
Tomorrow, we'll just hang out unless I can convince Sue to let me ride my bike to the Dog Track with her on the handlebars. (Her bike is in the car)
That was one day in the adventures of Bill and Sue. Wickett could care less as long as he has food, water and palm trees to pee and poop on.
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